A cobpobationi osi illistois



E. R. LINEBAUGH SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PRIN'HNG PRESSES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.17|19I9.

Patented Oct. 28, 1919.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

E. R. LINEBAUGH.

SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM FOR PRINTINQ PRESSES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 17' I919.

Patented Oct. 28, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 E. R. LFNEBAUGH.

SHEET FEEDiNG MECHANISM FOR PRINTING, PRESSES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 17, I919.

Patented Oct. 28, 1919..

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

BALtt-BERTGN, OHEG, ASSIGNOR TO THE DIAMOND MATCH COMPANY, {3F CHICAGO,ILLINOIS, CUid-PORATIDN OF ILLINOIS.

SHEET-FEEDING- MECHAHISM Ffilct PiEtl'liTIIifG-PRESSES.

I To all whom if may concern;

Be it known that l, Eowann R. Linnaaocn, a citizen of the llnitedStates, and resident of Barber-ton, in the county of Summit and State ofOhio, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Sheet-Feeding Mechanism for Printing- Presses, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to sheet feeding mechanism for Gordon printingpresses and the like; and it has for its object to provide a simple andeiiicient construction and organization of gripper devices whereby isinsured a reliable feeding of successive sheets of paper of differentqualities and thicknesses. In the form of en'ibodiment of my inventionherein illustrated the usual reciprocating gripping frame is provided atits forward portion with two end grippers and a pair of middlegrippersfeaeh of said grippers comprising complementary fixed andmovable members. Compression springs are associated with the movablemembers of all the grippers and auxiliary spring devices are associatedwith the movable members of the middle grippers. l rovision is hadwhereby the series of movable gripper members are temporarily raised andlowered as and when the gripper frame approaches and reaches the limitof its rearward stroke, whereby a suitably-disposed sheet is received.by the grippers and securely clamped by the combined action of all thesprings, preparatory to the feeding of the sheet upon the platen; andwhereby when the gripper frame ap- ,proaches the limit of its forwardstroke,

the pressure of the compression springs upon the movable grippers isreleased, while that of the auxiliary devices on the central grippers ismaintained to insure the correct positioning of the sheet against theusual end stops of the platen. Means are provided whereby the pressureof the Ltiliary spring devices can be nicely adjusted in order to varythe effective action. of the grippers to meet the requirements ofdifferent qualities and thicknesses of paper.

The invention also comprises novel features of construction andcombinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

in the drawings' Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a printingpress embodying my invention.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 17, 1915*.

Patented that. 2d, 1919.

Serial no. seams.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a perspective of the forward end of the gripper frameincluding the grippers, showing a sheet as engaged by the latter.

Fig. 4 an elevation of the actuatingarm, and i s adjuncts, for thepresser bar.

Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are transverse vertical sections as on thecorrespondingly numbored lines, respectively, of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates a platen; 11 an oscillatorysupport therefor, and 12 a rock-shaftupon which the support is mounted,which shaft is intermittently actuated to effect the timely motion ofthe platen in respect to the usual reciprocating sheet-receivingposition. Meshin with the racks 15 are spaced geanwheels 1'? fast on atransverse shaft 18 having its hearings in the respective sides of themachine frame. this shaft is a gear-wheel 19 in mesh a gear sector 20,the arm of which is mounted on a stud shaft 21 supported at one side-ofthe machine frame. The sector arm bears .a lateral roll 22 which runs inthe cam race of a face cam 23 fast on a continuously driven shaft 24:,which race is of such formation as to efi'ect the oscillation of sectorand thereby insure constant back and forth motion ofthe gear-wheels 1'?and the timely reciprocation of the racks of the gripper frame.

The gears 17 are confined in appropriate casings 25 having rearwardbasal extensions 26 within which the respective racks are mounted forlongitudinal reciprocation. The casings are hung on the hubs of thegears 17 to have capacity for slight vertical oscillation; theextensions 26 being provided at their rear with upwardly and rearwardlyextending arms 27 hearing suitablydisposed rolls 28 which are held inoperative contact with counterpart cams 29 fast on the shaft 24 by theweight of the gripper frame. The contour of the cams 29 is such thatbefore the gripper frame commences its backward stroke the casings areslightly tilted to raise the forward end of the grip per frame and itsgrippers slightly above the platen; and thus enable them, in their backstroke, to clear the paper imposed on the platen.

The gripper actuating mechanism includes a suitably disposed vibratorypresser bar 30 which is adapted in its periodic oscillation to controlthe operation of the grippers in order to effect the timely gripping andreleasing of the paper. This bar 30 is sup ported at one end by abracket 31 on the frame bar 16 and at the other end by a rockarm 32which is pivoted to a bracket on the adjacent rack bar. The presser-barhas connected thereto, adjacent the arm 32, a pin 34 which dependsthrough av perforated bracket 35 on said bar, and is provided with acompression spring 36 which, bearing against the under side of thebracket 35 and the headed lower,end of the pin 34, tends to maintain theinner or acting edge of the presser-bar-normally depressed. The arm 32is provided with 21 depending extension 37 having a hook-likelowerportion 38 for engagement by the forward hooked end 3 of a rod 40which extends longitudinally of the adjacent rack. The opposite end ofthe rod is pivotally connected to a dog 41 which is pivotally supportedon said rack. This dog is provided with a tailpiece'42 which is adaptedto bear upon the horizontal floor of the casing at certain intervals-inthe travel of the gripper frame and thus maintain the rod in a positionwith the rockarm slightly retracted in opposition to the action of thespring 36. When in the rearward movement of the gripper frame, the dogescapes the floor of the casing said rod released to free the presserbar from restraint, which condition is maintained until the dog, duringthe succeeding forward stroke of the gripper frame, again engages andrides upon the floor of the casing.

A horizontally disposed bar 43, which is pivoted at its rear end to thesupporting frame, as at -14, overhangs the sheet when the latter isunder the control of the suction boxes; the free end of such barextending slightly beyond the forward end of the sheet and being taperedto constitute a cam nose 45. (See Fig. 2.) 'This cam bar is providedwith an upstanding member '16 bearing at its upper end a'roll 417 in caoperative relation to a cam 48 fast on the shaft 24, which cam isappropriately shaped to effect the periodical raising and lowering ofthe bar 43 in order to shift its nose 4-5 into and out-of the-path of alaterally proemployed, viz: two end grippers jectiug stud or roll 49 onthe rock-arm 32 I \Vhen the roll of the gripper mechanism. 1s 1nengagement with the cam bar and the latter is raised as ust describedthe grippers are opened to receive the forward edge of yond the stopsand releasing the positioned sheet against the stops.

' The parts above referred to, excepting the sheet as the latter isdrawn grippers, are of known construction and operation.

In the present instance four grippers are (A) and a pair of intermediategrippers (B). Each of the grippers comprises avertically bored housing51 which is adjustably secured by a screw 52, or the like, t thecross-bar 16 of the gripper frame. Vithin the bore of the housing is avertically movable gripper member 53 which co-act-s with a fixed grippermember 54 constituted by the foot of the housing. The member 53 isformed with a vertical socket for the reception of a pin 55 and acompression spring 56, which latter, encircling the pin, bears againstthe bottom of the socket and the head of the pin. The upper portion ofthe movable gripper member extends somewhat above the head of the pinand is offset to afford a notch into which the lower or acting edge ofthe presser bar freely extends, directly over thehead of the pin. Thusthe presser bar, according to its angularity depresses the pin to insureby rivets or studs 59. The strip is perforated intermediate its ends forthe free passage of a vertical supporting bolt 60' to which the strip isclamped by meansof a pair of nuts 61 screwed on the bolt. The boltextends loosely through a guide bracket 62 on the bar 16, and isnormally depressed by the actionof a suitably-disposed com- ,pression'spring 63 which bears at its respect ve ends against the bracket and thebolt head; the tendency and effect of said spring 6.3 being to draw downthe body of the resilient strip, medially of its ends, and thus transmitthrough the latter a uniform yielding pressure upon the movable members53 of i the central grippers. By vertically adjusting thefelampmg nutson the bolt the tension of the spring 63 can be nicely regulated inorder to secure various efiective actions of the resilient strip uponthe associated grippers to meet the requirements of different qualitiesor thicknesses of paper.

Briefly the operation is as follows: As the gripper frame approaches thelimit of its rearward stroke the roll 49 on the rock-arm 32 contactswith the nose of the cam bar 43 which has been properly positionedthrough its connection with the cam 4:8. The arm 82 and the presser barare thus swung upward against the action of the spring 36 in a way tocause the acting edge of said bar to bear against the overhanging lips57 of all the movable gripper members and thus bodily lift the latter-t0open the bite of the grippers for the reception of the end of the sheetsupported by the suction boxes. This done the .cam bar 43 is lowered,thus permitting the rock-arm and presser bar to resume their downposition, in which case the acting edge of the bar bears upon the headsof the pins 55.- Consequently the springs 56 being compressed actuniformly upon the movable gripper members to cause them to grip thepaper; and at the same time the spring plate 58, exerting an additionalclamping efi'ect upon the two central grippers, insures a positive andreliable ripping of the sheet at its central portion. 11 the succeedingforward stroke of the gripper frame the sheet, thus firmly held, isdrawn over upon the platen, and as said frame approaches the limit ofits forward stroke the dog 41 engages-and rides upon the floor of thecasing, thus retracting the rod 40 and by its hooked forward endslightly'rocking the arm 32' in a manner to ralse the acting edge of thepresser bar and thus relieve the pressure of the pins on the springs 56of the entire series of grippers. Such upward movement of the presserbar, however, is not sufficient to cause it to contact with the lips 57of the, movable gripper members, and hence the two middlegrippers aremaintained under uniform pressure by the action of the spring plate 58thereon. The pressure of the plate. is so adjusted that the paper ispositively drawn by the middle grippers into contact with the steps 50,and then such grippers, together with the end grippers, as they completetheir forward stroke, escape from the positioned sheet. 'ihereupon thegripper frame is tilted and retracted for a repetition of the abovedescribed operation on a succeeding sheet of paper; and so on.

- It is to be understood that I do not limit my invention to the exactdetails of conframe, of a gripper on said frame compr1s-' ingcomplementary fixed and movable gripping members, a plurality of springsfor exerting pressure independently of each other upon the movablemember, a vibrato presser bar loosely connected with said movablemember, means for actuating said'bar to raise saidmovable membertemporarily when the gripper frame approaches the end of its rearwardstroke, and means for actuating said bar to relieve the movable grip permember from the pressure of one of said springs when the gripper frameapproaches the end of its forward stroke, the otherv spring remaining inaction upon said mov-v able member.

2. The combination, in a printing press having a platen, forward paperstops on said platen, and a reciprocating gripper frame, of end grippersand a pair of middle grip; pers on said. frame, each of said gripperscom-prising complementary fixed and movable members, compression springsassociated with the movable members of the respective grippers,auxiliary spring means associated with the middle grippers, a vibratorypresser bar loosely connected with the movable members of the respectivegrippers, means for actuating said bar to raise said movable memberstemporarily when the gripper frame approaches the end of its rearwardstroke, and means for actuating said bar to relieve the movable grippermembers from the pressure of said compression springs when the gripperframe approaches the end of its forward stroke, the auxiliary springmeans remaining in action upon said movable members. y

The combination, in a printing press having a platen, forward paperstops on said platen, and a reciprocating gripper frame, of papergrippers onsaid frame comprising complementary fixed and movablegrippingmembers, compression springs as sociated with the movablemembers of the respective grippers, a vibratory presser bar looselyconnected with said movable members, means for maintaining said bar in anormal position wherein it acts to compress the springs, means foractuating said bar to cause itto raise and then to lower the saidmovable members when the gripper frame is at the end of its rearwardstroke, and means for actuating 'said bar to release the pressure fromthe springs when said frame approaches the end of its forward stroke.

having a platen, forward paper stops on said platen, and a reciprocatinggripper frame, of a pair of paper grippers on said frame comprisingcomplementary fixed and movable gripping members, a resilient plateconnecting the said members, a verticallymovable support for said plate,a spring acting to maintain said support yieldingly depressed, avibratory presser bar loosely connected with said movable members, andmeans for actuating said bar to cause it temporarily to raise saidgrippers against the action of said spring and plate.

5. The combination, in a printing press having a platen, forward paperstops on said platen, and a reciprocating gripper frame, of a pair ofgrippers on said frame comprising complementary fixed and movablegripping members, compression springs associated with the movablemembers of the respective grippers, a vibratory presser bar looselyconnected with said movable members, means for maintaining said bar in anormal position wherein it acts to compress the springs and thus holdsaid movable members yieldingly depressed, an auxiliary depressing meanscomprising a resilient plate connecting the said movable members, avertically movable support adjustably connected to the body of saidplate, and a spring acting to maintain said support yieldinglydepressed, means for actuating said presser bar to raise and then tolower the said movable gripper members when the gripper frame is at theend of its rearward stroke, and means for actuating said bar to releasethe pressure of the compression springs when the said gripper frameapproaches the end of its forward stroke.

Signed at Barber-ton, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio'this11th day of March, A. D. 1919.

EDWVARD R. LINEBAUGH.

